Tasty chicken fajitas were on the menu today for Week 1 of our Cookery & Nutrition course held at The Food Nation in Heaton. Our 4 week Cookery Course for carers is proving very popular and we are delighted to be running it again this year. It takes place weekly on a Wednesday 10.30-12 noon are is open to all unpaid adult carers in Gateshead. Get in touch with us if you fancy joining in!

Gateshead Carers were delighted to welcome the Mayor of Gateshead, Cllr. Allison Thompson, along with other invited and distinguished guests, to the official launch of their eLearning website designed specifically for Working Carers and Employers in Gateshead. The event was held at HMS Calliope, Gateshead, on the evening of Tuesday 28th February 2017.

This new site, developed in collaboration with Northumbria University staff and students, is specifically designed to support employers and working carers who live or work in Gateshead and work full or part time whilst also providing unpaid care for a family member or friend. People can use the site to access a carers’ awareness e-Learning course, which aims to raise awareness and increase knowledge and understanding of the nature of the caring role, particularly within the working environment.

This project is an excellent example of how collaboration between the private and voluntary sector, local council and local businesses and further education, can come together to benefit Working Carers and Employers both locally and nationally!

In addition to a range of written materials, the site is packed with videos, templates, self-assessments forms, case studies, links to online resources, recommended reading and relevant research. Upon studying all of the topics, visitors will be able to earn a well-deserved Carer Aware Certificate.

This free resource will be of particular value to:

An employer, HR professional, or line manager

A carer who is currently combining work and care or looking to enter or re-enter the workforce

An employee who may become a carer in the future or who wants to learn more about their colleagues who are carers

At the launch event, guests were invited to pledge their support helping to build a ‘Carer Friendly Community’ by adding a signed brick to our Lego Pledge House. This theme continues into the year as part of the national strategy for Carers Week 2017 (12-18 June).

The website also has an accessibility toolbar, provided by Gateshead company Recite Me, making it fully accessible to everyone it aims to support. For example, nine per cent of the carers Gateshead Carers’ supports are from a BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) background, whilst eighteen different languages are spoken across its network of carers. Recite Me is perfect for translating the e-learning site content into over 100 languages for them, whilst also making the site fully accessible to people with a disability, learning difficulty, or impairment. It gives people a range of options which are represented by easy to understand icons in a toolbar that appears at the top of each web page. They allow people to change elements of the website such as the font size and font colour, in order to make text easier to read. Anyone who visits the site can also use the toolbar to quickly and easily have the text read aloud to them.

Katalin Bartos, Employer Support Officer at Gateshead Carers, said: “We wanted to create an easily accessible, flexible and cost effective learning site for employers and working carers to use at their own pace, time and location. We had previously spoken to carers we support about the help and support they need and access to information online was a top requirement”.

For further information about the new working carers and employers e-Learning website please contact: Katalin Bartos, Employer Support Officer, Gateshead Carers, katalin.bartos@gatesheadcarers.com

Due to popular demand, we are organising an autumn/winter Improver’s Session for ‘Computers Don’t Byte’ – our popular computer class for carers. It is ideal for those that have previously attended our basic course but are either still ‘scared’ or want to continue developing their skills in order to become more confident using a computer. This is an opportunity to work at your own pace with easy step-by-step instructions. Whilst receiving support from your tutor and other learners in the group you will be able you improve on areas that you still find difficult. As always, we will continue to ensure a relaxed and friendly learning environment, where you will not feel too embarrassed to ask questions or be worried about getting a task wrong. Carers are welcome to attend even if they have attended a course elsewhere but are keen to improve their skills.

Many carers have accumulated years of valuable experience through caring for someone without having any qualification to show for it. Now carers have the opportunity to gain an NCFE Level 1 qualification without having to attend college. Previous O’ Level or GCSE qualifications are not required but a genuine interest in putting your valuable experience to good use is essential. Carers can work towards the qualification from the comfort of your own home which can be easily fitted in around your caring responsibilities. As little as 1 hour a week could be all that is needed to gain this nationally recognised qualification, and better still, it’s free!

Available NCFE Level 1 Qualification subjects:

Substance Misuse Awareness

Personal Safety Awareness

Certificate in Wellbeing

Stress Awareness

Mental Health Awareness

Dementia Awareness

Alcohol Awareness.

This could be the perfect stepping stone for carers who are considering working in the Health of Social Care Sector or considering going back to work because their caring role has ended or is about to.
Call the Carer Training & GP Liaison Officer on: 0191 4900121 to register your interest.

Carers have been requesting that we run three of our most popular courses again, details of these are below. You will find a full range of current courses inside our 2015 Training Calender available here.

Carers’ Jobseeker Sessions – This 6 week course is targeted at carers who wish to return to work or those looking for a career change.Computers Don’t Byte – A 10 week course for those who know very little about computers or want to improve their basic knowledge.Understanding Dementia – This 4 week course is for anyone looking after someone with Alzheimer’s Disease or other types of dementia.

To register for a course or to find out more information please contact our Carer Training Officer, Kelechi Dibie on tel: 0191 4900121 or contact us here.